Open your Eyes
by Luna20
Summary: CHAPTER 4 IS UP! When people do things, it's for a reason. This is the story of one girl trying to find her
1. Beginnings and Endings

Open your Eyes  


  


Chapter 1  


  
My walk home from the bus stop started as usual. I got off the bus, crossed the street, and walked to my front door, as usual. I dug my key out of my backpack, and unlocked the door, as usual. When I stepped inside the door, I saw something very unusual indeed. There was a stranger sitting at my kitchen table. Not just any old stranger. No, this particular stranger was wearing a brown cloak with a hood, so I was unable to see his face. He looked just like the hooded figure that appeared in the Secret Place in my favourite video game of all time, Kingdom Hearts... "What the heck...?" I said to myself. I'd like to tell you that I marched right up to him, and tried to fight him. Instead, I stood on the rug and closed the door. I was too scared to go back outside because there were lots of hornets out there. It had taken every ounce of courage I possessed to just run up the front walk, jam my key into the lock, and turn it. Now, there was this stranger in my house and I was nowhere near a phone, so I couldn't call 9-1-1. Even if I had been able to call the police, the hooded figure probably would have just disappeared, like he did in the game. Then, my worst nightmare came true. The words that I had been dreading for the past 30 seconds came out of the strangers deep hood.: "This world has been connected". I was shaking so hard, I'm surprised that I didn't fall. "I-I know who you are," I managed in a feeble voice. "One who knows nothing can understand nothing," replied the stranger. Good, I thought to myself. He skipped the part about Earth being "tied to the darkness, soon to be completely eclipsed." Somehow, I hoped that the exclusion of these words meant that I had a little bit of time before Earth was destroyed by the evil creatures that frustrated me so much in the game: the Heartless. The stranger stood up and took off his hood. I knew now who this man was. He was the pillar of all darkness.  
  
Ansem.  
  
I was shaking even more now. He was walking toward me. As he did so, I felt memories rushing back to me. Me, but younger, sitting on a bench with a boy who had long, pointed ears and golden brown hair. He was holding a flame in his hand, and I seemed to be trying to get a flame to appear in my hand too . . . I suddenly noticed that Ansem was drawing closer to me. That didn't seem all to important to me, as I suddenly realized that I wasn't who I thought I was. I was still 12 years old, and I was still a girl, but I realized that I wasn't human. Never had been human, and never will be. I was an elf princess, who used to live in a castle. A elf princess? I shook my head. It wasn't possible! If I was a princess, why was I here? All of these thoughts fled to the back of my head when I realized that Ansem was standing over me, and I was curled up on the floor, clutching my head. My only reaction was to push myself back against the door and try to make myself as small as I could. He only smiled and moved forward. I managed to say, "What do you want?" Ansem only smiled. As he did so, a small ball of swirling dark energy appeared in his hand. I whimpered. Suddenly, I felt calm. The dark energy was making me feel alone; but strangely comforted. I tried to think. Then I had it. I concentrated with all my might on the feeling that the dark magic gave me. I could feel Ansem drawing nearer, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was conjuring a sphere of dark magic all on my own. When I thought that my brain would burst from all of that concentrating, I finally felt a small pop! When I opened my eyes, I saw that I had a large, black sphere in my hands the size of a basketball. I was also very pleased to notice that Ansem had stopped dead in his tracks and was looking completely surprised. Then, it was as if someone had un-frozen time. I did the only thing that seemed sensible at the moment. I hurled the dark magic at Ansem's stomach, knowing that it probably wouldn't work, and forced myself to get up and walk two steps away from Ansem. I then promptly sunk to the floor again. I hadn't realized that using magic would take so much energy... it was then that I started to cry. It was probably because I was feeling so alone... but mostly because I had never even hurt anyone before. I mean, I really don't like insulting people, even if it's just a joke. Ansem then struggled to his feet. Struggled? Did I really hurt him that much? I mean, he was the source of all darkness. How could I, a 12 year old elf girl have done anything to him with one shot? I stopped pondering all of these things when I noticed that Ansem was getting very close to me. I shrank back against the wall, and began to concentrate on conjuring another sphere of darkness. Before I could though, Ansem had snapped his fingers. Almost immediately, black pools of darkness began to grow on the floor all around me. Slowly, small shadows began to rise out of them. I knew that I couldn't fight them. Not right now. So, I let the darkness take me. As I sunk into it, I heard Ansem cry out. There was a tall figure enshrouded in light fighting Ansem. The figure pointed their finger at the portal I was sinking into. Suddenly, the portal began to spin in a different direction. Then, as I sunk deeper and deeper into the swirling vortex, I heard a voice. "_You are not alone_."  
  
  
The next thing I knew, I felt sand under my fingers. I tried to lift my eyelids, but they were too heavy. As I listened for any signs off life, I clenched and un-clenched my hands. Destiny Islands, I thought to myself. That's where I am. Then, I heard a voice. A voice I knew very well. "What...?!" I heard footsteps coming towards me. No more time to ponder my situation. I heard Riku kneel down beside me. "Hello? Are you okay? Who are you?" He has almost as many questions as I have, I thought to myself. I realized fully for the first time what situation I was in. Lots of girls would kill to be me right now. Then why didn't I open my eyes? I took a deep breath. I took a huge step into another life, and a huge step out of my old one. I took a chance.   
  
  
I opened my eyes.  
  
  
Author's Note: Does anyone like it? This is only my second story, and my first try at something other then comedy. So, do you want me to continiue? Please review and I'll see if I should keep going.  
  
AlWaYs, ^_^ Luna C*  



	2. Eye of the Storm

Open your Eyes  
  
Chapter 2: Eye of the Storm  


  
  
The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes were Riku's two green blue eyes staring right at me. "You're awake!" he said, sounding excited. "Hey, Sora!" Right away, I knew that I shouldn't have opened my eyes. How could anyone's eyes be so blue? It hurt to look at them. I groaned. Then, I realized something. I was lying here, on Destiny Islands. A place that I thought was supposed to be imaginary. I felt a wave of nausea rush over me as all of my questions flooded back. Why was I here? Is this really real? Am I dreaming? Another wave of nausea rushed over me as I heard Sora say, "Riku! Who';s that?" I then promptly rolled over (away from Sora and Riku) and threw up. Oh great, I thought. That was a really good first impression. I heard Sora let out a surprised "Ahh!" Riku moved a little ways away from me. Luckily, I had sense enough to crawl over to the ocean and wash my face and mouth before attempting to speak. I turned around and got to my feet. I was still a little unstable, so it was hard to stand. "Sorry," I said. Then I realized that my cheeks were on fire. Even though I was wearing a t-shirt, I was blushing like mad. I shifted from foot to foot, feeling incredibly warm in my long blue jeans and my black-and-blue striped t-shirt. I was glad to have my long, thick brown hair back in a braid and off my neck. I shifted my eyes from Sora to Riku, and then looked down. "It's okay!" said Sora brightly, "Come on, you have to meet Kairi." Kairi. The girl that both Riku and Sora liked. I noticed that at the name "Kairi," Sora's smile grew larger, and Riku shifted his eyes downward. "I'll come too," he mumbled. As Sora lead the way down the beach, I noticed Selphie for the first time. Her large brown eyes grew even bigger when I approached. "Sora, who's..who's that?" "She just appeared," said Sora. "Riku found her." I offered my hand to Selphie. She eyed me suspiciously, then gingerly took my hand and shook it. Selphie let go very quickly. I found myself smiling. "You don't have to worry. It's not like I'm going to hurt you." Selphie looked more suspicious then ever. Sora laughed , and Riku looked over at me and grinned. Please, I thought to myself. Please, just let Riku like Kairi. I laughed as well, in spite of the sick feeling in my stomach. "Hey man,what's...man, who's that?" I didn't have to turn around to recognize the Jamaican accent. It was Wakka, the Blitzball player. I turned to look at him, and I realized that Kairi and Tidus were standing beside him. I laughed again. "Hi," I said, sticking out my hand. Tidus walked forward eagerly and shook it. Wakka hesitated, while Kairi came up to me. "We don't usually get visitors!" she said, flashing her dazzling smile at me. "What's your name?" At first I thought of giving a silly name, like Mary-Sue. But then I shuddered, remembering the Mary-Sues on fan fiction.net. I did not want to be like these girls. So I gave my real name. "Luna," I replied. "Pretty name," said Wakka quietly. "Thanks," I said, grinning at him. "So..." started Sora excitedly. He looked like he was too excited to say whatever it was he started. Riku sighed and Kairi edged closer to Sora. "He means, how did you get here?" said Riku, asking the question for Sora. But there was a hint of a question in Riku's eyes too, and I could tell that he had another question; Why was I here?  
  
"Um..." I started. I knew that one thing would definately not make a good impression. My overuse of the word "Like." I'm not a valley girl or anything, but it's a really hard habit to break. I'd just have to try and not use that cursed word... "Well, I was just walking home from school, and when I came through the door, I..." "Do you live in another world?" asked Sora, obviously excited. "Yeah," I said. "It's called 'Earth.'" "Wow," whispered Kairi softly. "Er... where is she gonna stay?" asked Tidus. I could tell that he really didn't want to bring this up. Wakka shifted uneasily from foot to foot. I looked down at my shoes, as I felt my face grow warm again. "I-I could stay in the Secret Place," I said, then immediately regretted it. I shouldn't have said that! I was supposed to be from another world, so I shouldn't know where everything was! "How do you know about that?" asked Riku sharply. I could feel his brilliant green blue eyes delving into my mind. I quickly looked down. "Um, someone told me about it in a story," I said, making eye contact with him. Immediately, as though he had just discovered something, Riku turned to Kairi and said, "She can stay at my house."  
  
I froze right there. Kairi giggled nervously and said, "She might be more comfortable with a girl, Riku." I suddenly realized that I would probably have to choose between the two of them. That would not be fun. Then, I remembered who Riku was working for. Ansem. The man that had sent me here. What would Riku do to me? Would he kill me? Because getting killed wasn't high on my "Things to do" list, I decided that offending Riku would be better then being killed. "Er..." I started. Then Riku smiled and said, "It's okay. She won't mind." Sure, I thought. Don't ask me. As I looked out toward the ocean, I realized that the sun was setting. I felt a stab of loneliness. I missed my house, my mom, my dad, my fish... My stomach growled. I miss my dinner, I thought. I collapsed on the ground, crying. Kairi dropped to the ground beside me and began to rub my back. "It's okay," she said soothingly. I looked up through my tears to see Wakka crouched beside her, looking concerned. He dug in his pocket and came out with a packet of Kleenex. "Here." he said. "You can use this." I looked up at him. He seemed really and truly concerned. I smiled up at him. "Thanks,' I said, reaching for the Kleenex. As soon as I had finished wiping my eyes with the Kleenex, Kairi helped me to my feet. "Thanks again," I said. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad here.  
  
A few minutes later, I was walking along the beach with Riku. The sun had almost set, and it was getting dark. Yet again, I thought of all the girls on Earth who would kill to be in my shoes right now. I looked over at Riku. Because I'm about 5 foot 10, I could look him in the eye. His face had lots of shadows on his face, due to the setting sun. Those big green blue eyes of his were set straight ahead. Those eyes... they reminded me of the blue opal that was on a ring I had back home... home. I stumbled. Riku didn't notice. "Erm..." I started. Riku turned to look at me. "You, Sora, and Kairi are really close, aren't you? Have you guys done anything special lately?" i hoped that this question would give me insight on what day this was. If they were almost finished the raft, then the Heartless might attack tonight. "Well, we've started to wonder.. are there other worlds out there?" I shivered. Were they already building the raft? "So, we started building a raft about a week ago," Riku continued. "We just have to put the finishing touches on it tomorrow..." I cried out. Grabbing onto Riku's arm, I stopped him. "Riku! The Heartless! They're going to attack tonight! Don't let them take you Riku!" I yelled at him, hoping that somehow, he would get the message, and he wouldn't go to their side... Riku looked me in the eye. "So you aren't a messenger from Maleficent. I thought wrong," he said slowly. I looked him straight in the eye for the first time. "It's too late then?" I asked slowly backing away from him. Somehow, though, the more I backed away from him, the more alone I felt. The wind blew, making my braid fly to the side. I looked up. A dark, swirling vortex had appeared in the sky. It looked like the one I had been sucked into back home. I tore my eyes away from the swirling dark mass in the sky. Looking over at Riku, I saw that he was headed for the small island where the Papou tree was. The island where he would loose Sora. As I watched his long silver hair blow in the wind, I realized fully what was happening. Destiny Islands was about to be destroyed. I didn't know where Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie would go. Digging in my pocket, I pulled out the pack of Kleenex the Wakka had given me. I would need this. The storm grew stronger. I took a deep breath.  
  
Then, I ran after Riku.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Yay! I was going to continue a little bit farther, but I decided to give you, my dear readers, another cliff hanger. Please review! I know, I know, I'm insanely evil! This story is dedicated to my dear friends from drama, whom I miss a lot! Also, read my friend's story. Yes, DARK DUDE FINALLY HAS HIS OWN STORY! His story is called, "Tied to the Darkness". Yay! You might know him from "What Happened Here?' When you are done reading his story, read "CareBears and Fortune cookies". That's by DisturbedBunny. Thanks a million everyone!  
  
AlWaYs,  
  
^_^ Luna C*  



	3. Descisions

Open your Eyes: Chapter 3  
  
Decisions  
  
  


As I ran after Riku, rain started to pour down on the island. I took off my glasses in order to wipe the water off of them. Not that it would do that much good. I felt the wind blow it against my face as I struggled to match Riku's pace. Many more questions rushed through my head. Why was this happening? Well, I knew the answer to that question. Maybe I could still stop the Heartless. I shook my head. Was all of the shock finally getting to my head? There was no way that I could fight all of the Heartless by myself. All I was armed with was my magic, and that wasn't really a formidable weapon. I looked around. I wondered if Kairi was in the Secret Place yet. Jolting out of my reverie, I looked up to find Riku almost at the Paopu Island. As I resumed my slow jog, I asked myself another question: Why was I following Riku? I could just wait down by the dock for Sora. He was the good guy! And I never break rules. Then why was I following the bad guy? Riku would bring me straight to Ansem. And then what would I do?  
  
"Riku!" I called. I realized that tears of confusion were streaming down my face.  
  
As he turned to face me, I realized that tears were streaming down his face as well. They were tears of fury though. His eyebrows were so narrowed, it looked almost as if they joined in the centre. His eyes flashed with the fury that he seemed to have bottled up for so long...  
  
"Riku, please don't! Please, make the Heartless stop," I pleaded with him.  
  
"You don't know how it feels! To love someone so much that you would die for them, but to have them only care about your best friend! And... and..." his voice broke, his sobbing too wild to allow him to carry on. I slowly walked up to him, realizing that this could be a trap, and that it probably was. I knelt down beside Riku, and placed a hand on his back. Then, I spoke the words that had given me so much comfort at my time of need. I looked down into his face, and spoke. "You are not alone."  
  
I stood with my knees shaking, beside Riku on the island. i knew that I could not change him. The only person that would be able to save him was Kairi. And she wouldn't do that. Actually, she couldn't. In order to help him, she would have to know how he felt. And somehow, I knew that Riku would rather die then reveal that. I turned my head to look at Riku's face. His eyes were not red from crying, as mine were. He was facing the sea that had been so blue before... I heard footsteps. Turing around, I saw Sora, his face a image of pure fear.   
  
"Riku!" he called. He then turned to me a confused look on his face. '"Luna? What's going on?"   
  
"I-I" I started. But I knew that I wouldn't be able to explain everything. "Remember Sora, this is the way it's supposed to happen," I finished, smiling at him. Except, I'm not supposed to be here, I thought to myself.  
  
Riku turned around to face Sora. "The door has opened Sora!"  
  
The conversation that ensued was very painful. Knowing that Sora was about to loose Riku, but not being able to do anything about it. Riku extended his hand towards Sora.  
I realized that now was the time to make my choice. Who would I go with? Sora, the good guy? The one whom I most acted like, according to all of the "Which Kingdom Hearts Character are you?" quizzes. Every time I had taken a quiz like that, I had gotten Sora. Only once had I gotten Kairi. But I had never gotten Riku, or Ansem, or even Cloud or Leon. Therefore, I reached for Sora. But something was tugging at the back of my head. The urge to grab onto Riku's hand. But why should I? I already knew that I couldn't change him. Then why did I feel empty?  
  
I looked down. The darkness was climbing quickly up my legs. It was now or never. What should I do? If I chose Sora, my adventure would be different, like me. But is I chose Riku, would my adventure turn me into a Mary Sue? Darn it! I was trying to avoid that...  
  
Sighing, I let my hand fall. If I stayed here, there was no guarantee that I would be able to find Wakka, Tidus, or Selphie before the island was destroyed. Plus, the Heartless would be here to help complicate things. I looked down. The darkness was ready to swallow me whole unless I did something. I looked at Sora. "Good luck," I said, smiling at him.  
  
Then, I did something that was completely uncharacteristic of me. I placed a hand on Riku's outstretched arm. I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. I felt the darkness envelop me, and I felt that feeling of coming home, yet without the feeling of loneliness. And I knew why.  
  
I had Riku here.  
  
  
Author's Note: Another cliffhanger! Bwahahaha! I'm sorry, but I just love cliffhangers! Read 'Maiselph' by Aniiston if you haven't already. It's really good! I'll try and update soon. I'm going to reply to all of your reviews (Aniiston's idea!) Also, Dark dude updated his story (or, at least, he will soon),so go read that. now(or when he gets it up). Or no Riku plushies!. I'm also really sorry if I haven't reviewed your stories in a while. My life has been really busy, so please, have patience.  
  
Angel Moon: Thank you. I hope that you will keep enjoying the story.  
  
Juliana Clow: Lol, you and your head. Hope you had fun at camp. STOP CHANGING YOUR NAME!  
  
A.J..: Keeping it up. ^_~  
  
ThreeWishesKeyblade: Thanks for the support. I can't wait to read more of your stories!  
  
Desi Angel: I loved your stories! Thanks to Miss Clow over there, I got to read some. I'm glad that you like the story, even if you don't understand much.  
  
Disturbed Bunny: Lol! Here's a Riku plushie. (gives her a Riku plushie) If anyone else wants one, ask! Squirrels are furry tailed tree rats! Kill them all!  
  
Heartless-trinity: I'm still sorry about the other story. But, I hope that you keep up your writing. Thanks always!  
  
Life's Scar: I'm glad you liked it. I like that your stories have a more mature edge. Thank you for reviewing, and for the advice.  
  
Aniiston: I'm really sorry about the drawings. My life has been extremely hectic, and I will get to them A.S.A.P. Thanks for the tip. I hope that I did it right this time.  
  
Dark Dude: Your last chapter made me almost cry. And that's a big thing for me. Are you sure that you want to congratulate me on moving?  
  
  



	4. Don't Cry

Open Your Eyes: Chapter 4  
  
Don't Cry  


  
Author's Note: Hey all! I'm so sorry for not updating lately. School's very busy and so is my social life. In any event, me and one of my friends (Sara 1664) are planning to get a Sonic story up soon, so keep a eye out. I hope you enjoy this chapter; it took me long enough to write!  
  
AlWaYs,  
  
^_^ Luna20 C*  
  
  
  
The darkness swirled around me. All that I could see were Riku's eyes staring at me. What was he thinking right now? Trying to keep conscious, I looked around in panic. Riku's eyes had disappeared. I didn't know what to do. Now, there was nothing to hang on to. I let myself close my eyes. Let my world become dark.  
  
  
The next thing I felt was cold marble against my skin. I opened my eyes to find, with surprise, that my glasses were still in place on my nose. My entire body felt sore...so sore...  
  
  
"Get up, elf!"A loud voice was yelling at me. I really wished that it would just go away. It was really annoying me. Then, just like before, everything came rushing back to me. Ansem in my house, Destiny Islands, my friends, Riku... I moaned.  
  
"GET UP!" I was rudely yanked to my feet by... "Ansem?"I gasped, struggling to breath with his hand around my neck. I flailed my feet, attempting to kick him in the crotch. A loud yell from Ansem told me that I had succeeded. He dropped me, and I fell onto the cold marble floor. After impact, I let out a long scream. I was in the Grand Hall of Hallow Bastion!   
  
As soon as I screamed, all of the tall, black doors positioned around the Hall opened, and Heartless came pouring out. I panicked, knowing that I had nothing to defend me but magic. I put all of my concentration into creating a shield around me. Tried to make it the only thought in my head... The first time the Heartless claw connected with my side, I didn't fully register what had just happened. I was so used to emotional pain, I had almost forgotten what physical pain felt like. The second time the Shadow hit me, I felt it. I felt the warm sensation of blood gushing out of my side, and my eyes blurred with tears of pain. If only I could defend myself. Or heal... Then, all of the Heartless were on top of me. The only thing I could see was their black bodies, with the occasional yellow eye staring at me. I knew that I would die if I didn't do somthing... but I had so much more life left! I couldn't die! Not now! I let out a yell of pain, and concentrated on throwing all of the Heartless of of me.   
  
  
I suddenly felt blood gush in a great spurt out of my side, at the exact moment that a huge electric shock exploded from my body. Shadow Heartless were thrown in all directions. Some disappeared as they were impaled on spikes protruding from the wall. I heard Ansem get to his feet behind me. I whirled to face him. Unfortunately, this caused more blood then before to spurt out of my side. I struggled to rip a piece of fabric off of my shirt in order to press it to my side, but failed. In order to improvise, I pressed my hand to my side and tried, unsuccessfully to relax. Ansem smirked at me and started towards me. The same situation as before, just worse for me. I knew that I'd pass out of blood loss soon if I couldn't heal. Plus, if I passed out, there wouldn't be a guarantee that I would wake up again. So, I attempted to heal myself. I concentrated on making the magic sew up my side. Ansem was coming closer. I suddenly felt a cool sensation on my side, and realized that I had finally gotten my magic to heal me. Ansem was now scowling slightly. I grinned stupidly, and began concentrating on making the electric shock explode from me again. I then realized how much better I could be doing with a sword. I used to take fencing, but stopped because I got too busy. I was pretty good though. All of the skills spun in my head as I tried to think straight. Countersixth. Balestra lunge. Parry. I turned my face up to the ceiling, and wished that I had a sword to protect me and others. At first, I thought that it hadn't worked. Then, a crescent moon appeared in front of me. Ansem stepped back in shock. The moon twisted and bent until it shaped itself into a sword about 3 feet long, with moonstone in the handle. The long, shining blade looked like it was made of silver. I grabbed the handle as Ansem lunged, arms outstretched, towards me.  
  
I lunged, blade ready, at Ansem. Just in time, he called the Heartless, which immediately began attacking me. Now, though, I was in my element. I thrust, jabbed, and slashed at anything within my reach. The pain in my side was still there, but it was subsiding. I was doing okay until I felt a blade block mine. I swung around, my long, brown braid swinging behind me. What I saw almost made my heart stop. Riku was standing there, in his bad guy costume. Holding the Keyblade, the one that unlocked people's hearts. He was smirking.   
  
"Riku? Oh, Riku, please! What are you doing? We can go and get Kairi! There is another way!" I was breathing hard, and was thinking... what would happen if he fought me? Would I survive? Would I have to kill him? I couldn't. I couldn't kill him. How could I even hurt him. Heartless were different. Ansem, I knew, had to be hurt. But Riku?   
  
"Luna. I'm surprised you survived all of that. But never fear. You won't be in pain much longer," he sneered.   
  
"Riku, please! Just listen!" I pleaded with him again, holding no hope that he might agree. I couldn't cry! It would make me look weak. Don't cry, I told myself. Don't cry.  
  
"Just cry. You can't hold it back," said Riku. I thought that I detected a hint of sadness in his voice. Almost bitterness.  
  
"No." I said. "But Riku... please! I don't want to fight you!"  
  
"It's too late for that Luna. I don't know why you didn't just go with Sora. He suits you." Riku sneered. Then, realization dawned on me.  
  
"Wait... Hey! I don't have a crush on you! Or Sora!" I burned with indignation.  
  
A voice came out of the shadows.  
  
"Then prove it. Kill him." Ansem had walked into the small puddle of light. He was grinning.  
  
"What? Just because I won't kill him...!" I moaned. What was I supposed to do?  
Riku grinned.  
  
"Give it your best shot. You won't be able to touch me. I just hope that you won't end up crying before I kill you. I hope you don't go like the others."  
  
Author's Note: Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh... another author's note! In any event, I'll finish by responding to the reviews that I haven't responded to yet!  
  
Disturbed Bunny: I've now gotten into the habit of yelling, "Evil furry tailed tree rats!" at any squirrels I see. -_-() Ah well. In any event, thanks a ton! I'm glad that chapter three was toughing and interesting. Later!  
  
Sara 1664: New file. Ohhhhhhhhh! in any event, hope you like it! I'll be working on the next Sonic chappy!  
  
I'm posting this on the 10th of October (which is a Thursday, dear friends). Therefore, I'm going to say "Happy Thanksgiving" to everyone, or just, "Have a great weekend!" I'll be waiting!  
  
AlWaYs,  
  
^_^ Luna20 C*


	5. The Promise

Open Your Eyes   


Chapter 5: The Promise  


  
  
I let these words roll around in my head. The others? What others? Slowly but surely, I came to realize what he was saying. I felt a wave of nausea hit me as a sort of sick discovery washed over me. It must have showed on my face because Riku began to smirk.  
  
"You figured it out pretty fast. I'm impressed," he said, still with that smirk on his face. I couldn't look him in the eye. I was deathly scared of what I would find in those stunningly chilling blue green eyes of his.  
  
"You can say who it was, unless you're too scared to," he continued. I took a chance and looked him in the eye. I soon came to regret it. As I looked him in the eye, I saw the emotion that I had been dreading to se. It was the emotion that only a madman has in his eyes after he talks about killing people. It was triumph. There was no sorrow in his deep eyes. Only triumph. My stomach twisted.  
  
"You... you killed Wakka," I said. The effort almost tore my heart in half. This was a familiar feeling; I experienced it every time Dark Dude had played with his new friends back on that far away place called Earth.  
  
"One down, two to go," said Riku. He still had that grin on his face. It was almost making me angry now.  
  
"You killed Selphie, and Tidus," I said, choking out their names. Again, that feeling of my heart being torn in half. I looked Riku in the eye again. I saw a change in his eyes as soon as I looked at him. I don't know what he saw in my eyes, but I know what I saw in his; it was a flicker of fear. It was brief, but I saw it there.  
  
"Very good. We have a winner," said Ansem. I had forgotten about him. I whirled to make sure he wasn't planning an attack. He wasn't. He was standing there with the same sickening smirk on his face as Riku. Only his Ansem's seemed... more practiced. Almost like his face had spent lots of time in that exact position. I shuddered, and turned back to Riku.  
  
"Why Riku, why?" I asked. I wasn't crying , and my voice no longer shook. I wanted to know why. I reached into my pocket to find the packet of Kleenex that Wakka had given me. I pulled it out. I then clenched my hand, forming a fist around the Kleenex. I was scared that I would crush the Kleenex, but I kept on squeezing it. As if doing so would make strength leek out of it like a sponge, so I could soak it up.  
  
"They were some of your best friends; you grew up with them, you played with them, cried with them. So why?" I asked again. I was beginning to feel rage well up inside of me.  
Riku simply smirked.  
  
" Why did I kill them? They were in my way. They were trying to tell me that this was wrong. They tried to stop me from taking the keyblade from Ansem. They told me that there was hope. But there is no hope. I realize that now, and I won't be forgetting it any time soon," Riku said. The smirk was still in place, but it was like he was forcing it now. His voice had changed too. It was now sinking into bitterness.  
  
"But Riku..." I started. What would I say? The same things that Wakka, Tidus and Selphie had said? That only got them killed. Since Riku knew them way better then me, and he had still killed them, I'd say that I would get less mercy then those guys.  
  
" It was almost fun," Riku continued. "Wakka knew what was coming, so he tried to take me down with his blitzball. But, he was no match for me. the way Selphie screamed when I thrust the sword right through Wakka's heart... it was so... gratifying to hear. Wakka's last words were, ' Leave them'. I'm surprised he managed to talk at all through his tears. I obviously didn't listen," said Riku. His smirk was starting to slide a little now.  
  
"You, you..." I trailed off, unable to finish. I don't swear almost at all, so I was trying to think of a non-swear word that was bad enough for Riku. My fear was slowly retreating, making way for the anger that was now starting to flow through my blood.  
  
"Tidus was next. He put up a good fight; he was angry though, and his emotion blinded him. He fought with his heart, not his head. He fell after a while. He died in front of Selphie, blocking her from one of my sword thrusts. He was glaring at me as he fell, and tears of rage were falling from his eyes. Selphie screamed again..." Riku continued. The smirk was fading fast from his face. His eyes were still triumphant, but I thought I saw pain too; that kind of pain that is numb only for a time, then comes back at full strength.  
  
"You fricken' hell-dweller!" I spat at him. I took an involuntary step towards him. I was breathing fast and was ready for a fight... or was I? All he had wanted was Kairi... so why had he killed his friends? His gory details were making me feel sick. Both Tidus and Wakka had died protecting the ones they loved. And Riku... but why?  
  
"And then Selphie. She screamed and yelled at me, and then just gave it her all. She just flew at me with her little skipping rope, and her anger blinded her as it did Tidus. The scream he let loose when she died," Riku said, while tilting his head up as if in ecstasy, "was heaven."  
  
"You freakin' idiot!" I yelled at him. I took another step towards him and then stopped myself. This was how Selphie and Tidus got themselves killed. By hurling themselves at Riku in rage. I should calm myself down...  
  
"But you still haven't answered my question, " I said, trying to banish the rage inside me. "Why did you do it?"  
  
"I did answer it," said Riku." They were in my way."  
  
"That's no reason to kill somebody!" I countered. But then again, was it?  
  
"They told me that there was another way. They said that Kairi did love me..." said Riku. The smirk had been completely wiped from his face now. His icy blue green eyes seemed to be melting, as if someone was heating them from inside his head. I stared at him, then I thought of something.  
  
"Just not in the same way she loves Sora, right?" I asked, my voice softening. I knew exactly how Riku felt. It was that feeling of loving someone, even as a friend, but knowing they could never know, or care about you the same way.  
  
Riku turned to face me. He was angry again, and his silver eyebrows almost joined in the middle, making his eyes look like slits. Uh-oh, I thought. I think I crossed the line there.  
  
"You fucking couldn't know," hissed Riku. "You could never know." And with that, he threw himself at me.  
  
As that was the last thing I had been expecting, so I had only enough time to lift my sword up in order to parry his attack. I saw the muscles in his arms tense as he pushed off of my blade with his, and circled around for another attack. I whirled to see him coming at me from the other side. I knew that I had to defend myself, but I also knew that I wouldn't be able to just defend myself forever. I would need to attack Riku; but he might not stop until he was killed. That was what I was afraid of.  
  
I brought my blade up to block Riku's second attack. "No one can feel what I feel," he hissed quietly at me.  
  
"That's where you're wrong,' I said. This time I pushed his blade away, and quickly slashed at his exposed left arm. My sword made contact, cutting through his dark coloured outfit and into the pale flesh beneath it. I saw red blood start to flow out of the wound, and thought, I did that. I caused someone else pain. I gasped and backed away slowly, while Riku stared at the wound in shock. He took in the sight of the blood flowing out of his pale, freshly cut skin. He then looked up to me and snarled. I wanted to back away, but I forced myself to stay. I needed him to think that I was not afraid of killing him.  
  
"You say you've felt pain," Riku said. I nodded, eager to see where he was getting to. "Who inflicted it? Who inflicted this pain that you say is equal to mine?"  
  
'One of my best friends, " I said slowly. "And... a few others I've met". I wanted him to see that he was not alone.  
  
"Who were they?" he snarled. I noticed that he was getting ready for another attempt to kill me, so I prepared myself.   
  
'That's... that's none of your business!" I said. It really wasn't. So why was he asking?  
  
"That's too bad!" he roared. He then charged at me, sword held high. I brought my sword up to try and block it, but he was much more powerful then me. He knocked my sword out of my hand and threw me to the floor. I hit the ground hard, whimpering in pain as the hard marble connected with my still-tender side. He then brought the blade up to right above my heart. Riku could kill me, so why was he waiting? Did he want to make it slow and painful?  
  
"Who were they?" he asked again. I thought about it, then answered.  
  
"One of my best friends, Dark Dude, and this guy I used to like," I spoke. I was trembling there on the hard, cold floor. I was so scared. Riku just snorted.  
  
"You can't fucking know how I feel," he said. "You can't."  
  
"Maybe I don't know exactly how you feel," I said. "Or maybe I don't feel it a s much as you. But, I do know what you feel," I was taking a chance.  
  
"What do you want?" Riku asked. That question caught me off guard. That was probably the last thing I was expecting him to say. After I thought for a moment, I gave him my answer.  
  
"I want to get home alive, and in one piece," I replied. I could take everything from there; all I need to do was get home. "I know this is sort of a stupid question, but what do you want?"   
Riku sighed and looked away. After a couple of seconds, he turned back to me and answered.  
  
"I want to keep Kairi safe," he answered. I chanced another look in his eyes to try and see if he was lying. What I saw in his eyes surprised me. There were real tears in his eyes. He hadn't started crying yet, but one more move and he would.  
  
"That's reasonable," I said. "You just want to protect the people you care about." I took a deep breath. He hadn't killed me yet; why? I was starting to relax a little, but not much. I glanced around the floor, looking for my weapon. It lay only a few feet from my right hand. I turned back to Riku.  
  
"That's all I wanted to do on Earth too," I said. "I-I wanted Dark Dude to be happy, and safe..." I trailed off. Maybe Riku was wrong. Maybe this was the same thing as he felt. He looked me in the eye. It felt like his eyes were piercing my flesh, looking right into my soul. I let out a small squeak.  
  
"Stop that!" I said angrily, turning away. There were only a few people I knew that could look at me like that, and look right through me. Right now he was reminding me of only one of those people. Dark Dude. Riku didn't seem to be finished with me though. He grabbed both sides of my face with his hands and forced me to keep eye contact with him. I felt my eyes tearing. I was going to loose it if he didn't stop soon. Riku's stunning eyes kept searching me, as if he was looking for something that he lost. After what seemed like hours, he released my face and looked away for a moment, thinking. I was grateful for him releasing me, and I took a deep breath. I also took off my glasses and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. Riku then transferred his sword to his left hand and stuck out his right, as if he wanted to shake my hand. I must have looked confused, because he laughed.  
  
"I'll make you a deal. I think we might be able to help each other. You can help me find Kairi, and I'll help you find a way home. If you fail, I'll kill you. Understand?" Riku finished his offer. I stared at him for a moment. Well, trying this was better then dying now. This way, we both might get what we wanted. I frowned though, thinking of what Riku had done before. He had killed 3 of his best friends, maybe without a second thought. Was this a good idea? Maybe coming with Riku in the first place wasn't a good idea. I sighed. This was not the time to think about past choices I had made. Even though Riku was clearly not completely right in the mental department, going with him now held a better chance of surviving and getting home. I took a deep breath and made my choice.  
  
"Okay," I said, reaching out with my right hand to shake his. "I understand." I smiled at him. I knew that this was strictly business, but at least I might not be alone anymore.  
  
"Stop it!" said Ansem from behind Riku. 'You belong to me!" he yelled at Riku, pulling him closer. I glared at Ansem, rolling over and grabbing my sword.  
  
"Do you know how gross that sounds?" I asked Ansem, then swung my sword at the arm he was using to hold Riku. To my surprise, I made contact, and blood began to flow out of Ansem's arm. I grabbed Riku's uninjured arm and pulled him away from Ansem.  
  
"Thanks," said Riku, looking over at me.  
  
"No problem," I replied, smiling. I then felt something under my feet. Riku and I looked down to see that small puddles of light were growing at our feet. I immediately grabbed Riku's hand. There was no way in hell that I would loose track of him. Riku looked over at me, a little unsure.  
  
"It's okay," I said. "The last time these things popped up, I went to Destiny Islands. It has to be someplace good," I said. well, at least I hoped that we would be going someplace good. Riku nodded at me, and said something that I never expected.  
  
"You won't leave me, right?' he asked. I did a double take. Was that Riku talking to me? I then realized that he simply wanted a guarantee. He wanted to know that I wouldn't run off, and leave him to fend for himself. Not that I doubted that Riku couldn't take care of himself, but...  
  
"Never," I replied simply. Riku nodded again, and, with that, we sank into the pools of light, wondering what was going to happen next.  
  
By: Luna20 C  
  
Author's Note: I'm sorry that this has taken me so long everyone. I hope that it is to your liking. Even though it sucks... Please reveiw. It would mean a lot to me. Arigato everyone!  
  
AlWaYs,  
Luna20 C 


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